Someone To Save You
by Animegirl1129
Summary: Glitch is tired of trying to be fixed, so Cain steps in to help him out. CainGlitch. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

Someone To Save You

**_Yet another random plot bunny attack. Hope you like. I'll probably update again on Monday or Tuesday, won't be home for the weekend. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 1:

He hadn't meant for Glitch to overhear his conversation with the Royal family. If he had known that Glitch was hovering in the doorway he wouldn't have kept talking. But, Cain didn't know he was there, so he did.

"I don't know why you insist on trying to fix something that isn't broken to begin with. I don't see a single thing about him that needs fixing." He was so fed up with everybody's over excitement on the upcoming re-brainment. No one had even asked for Glitch's opinion in the matter, they just scheduled the surgery, while the man came to every night a nervous wreck as the date drew eve closer. "He was smart enough to save me from freezing to death, wasn't he?"

"Mr. Cain, I 'm aware that you and Ambrose have become rather close…" Ahamo started, quite used to this argument by now. "But I'm afraid the best thing for him is to have his brain back. Someone can't be there all the time to help him remember who and where he is."

The sound of footsteps retreating captured their attention and they turned quickly enough to spot the retreating form of Glitch making a hasty exit.

Cain scowled, and if looks could kill, he would have surely been hanged for murdering the King. "I would." He shot back over his shoulder as he took off after the other man.

He went the way he thought Glitch had gone, but he couldn't seem to find the headcase anywhere in the maze of hallways. He'd been about to gather the search parties when he spotted him.

"Glitch!" He approached the younger man, who seemed quite content lying in the grass near the lake. "I don't know how much of that you heard…"

"Enough. I heard enough." He managed a half hearted smile and a heavy sigh as he shifted into a sitting position, picking at the grass before him absentmindedly as Cain sat down beside him. "I want to leave here."

"What?"

A small laugh. "Thought I was supposed to be the clueless one."

Cain slung an arm around his shoulders. "Must be rubbing off on me, then, sweetheart." He teased. "What do you mean, you want to leave?"

"They don't want Glitch. They all want Ambrose. And I don't want to be him again." Ever since the day they'd conquered the anti-sun seeder Glitch had been simply terrified of that room, let alone his brain. Cain guessed that he'd seen things when Raw had connected him to it, and he remembered them.

"You really wanna leave?" He asked, a plan already forming in his mind.

"Yes."

"Then I'll help you." He smiled softly at the look of delight that crossed the other's face.

He pulled the Tin Man into a hug. "Really, Cain? You'd do that for me?"

Cain nodded in reply. This was going to take some work.


	2. Chapter 2

Someone To Save You

**_Yet another random plot bunny attack. Hope you like. I'll probably update again in a few days, sorry this one took so long. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 2:

Tonight was the night.

Cain had been setting this up since his confrontation with the King and Queen, since Glitch told him he didn't want to stay. And tonight was the night he'd get Glitch away.

He waited until it was suitably dark and the staff had turned in for the night, before he went in search of the headcase. He found Glitch already asleep in his room, blankets pulled up to his chin and a dying fire alight in the hearth, although Glitch's sleep looked hardly restful. He was tossing and turning and it seemed he would tumble out of the bed with the force of the movements. A nightmare, he decided.

"Glitch…" Cain whispered softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. He got no response from the sleeping man though, so he resorted to lightly shaking the smaller figure. "Come on, sweetheart. Rise and shine."

"Mm…Cain?" Came the sleep laced voice as Glitch stirred, blinking lazily up at him through half-lidded eyes. "What are you doing in my room? Is this my room? Oh, no…I've wandered into your room again, haven't I?" His eyes scanned the room. "Oh, wait. This is my room. Cain, what are you doing in here?"

Cain waited out the duration of time that Glitch's mind needed to get up to speed before he spoke. "Your surgery is in the morning. If you still want to leave, we have to go now."

"What?" He stared for a second before he realized what Cain meant. "Oh, I… yes!" He clambered out of bed, and ended up nearly falling in his attempt to disentangle himself from the blankets.

Cain caught him easily enough. "Whoa, there. We need to be quiet." He told Glitch to dress warmly and pack only what he needed, before he slipped out of the room to check the last few details of his plan.

He was rather surprised to find that Glitch had, in fact, packed even less than he expected. "I managed for eight years with pretty much nothing, didn't I?"

"True." The elder agreed, slinging Glitch's bag over his shoulder before he started toward the door. "Let's go. And remember, quiet."

Glitch nodded, and clung to Cain's arms as they stealthily crept about the hallways and corridors of the palace. After one close encounter involving the zipperhead and a poorly placed suit of armor, they managed to escape the confines of the building and begin to cross the sprawling grounds.

"Where are we going?" Glitch inquired, as they moved through the shadows toward the edge of the woods.

Cain paused mid-step, which caused Glitch to run square into his back, sending them both to the ground. At the sound of footsteps growing closer, he rolled them further into the shadows cast by one of the towers and covered Glitch's mouth with his hand. When the low ranking tin man unfortunate enough to draw a night watch shift had passed, both men climbed to their feet.

"We're almost there." Cain promised, as he started ahead into the darkness once more.

They stopped in a small clearing a good ways into the woods. The moon was the only thing illuminating the area, where a single horse stood tied to a tree. "I brought this guy out here earlier so we could get away faster." He mounted the horse with a practiced ease and offered a hand to hi companion.

"He can handle both of us?" Glitch asked, as he climbed up behind Cain, hand settling on the other's hips.

"Yeah, he can. Don't worry, he's even been trained to maneuver at night. We're only riding until sun-up." He kicked the roan colored Draft horse into motion and they started through the thick forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Someone To Save You

**_The plot bunny for this is just like gnawking at my brain. It simply will not leave me alone. Expecta nother update soon! Characters not mine. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 3:

They rode until the first signs of light on the horizon. Cain set up a makeshift camp at the base of a large rock formation well off the beaten path. The overhang above them provided a nice cover against any aerial search parties.

"Well, you should get some rest." The tin man suggested, offering Glitch a blanket from the bag of supplies to shield him from the cool winter air.

Glitch accepted it, but made no move to rest. "What about you?"

Cain shook his head as he tended to Nero. "No, don't worry about me." He smiled. "Someone's gotta keep watch."

"Nonsense!" Glitch declared. "It's not fair at all that I should get to sleep while you stay awake. Come, sleep, please."

"Just get some rest, Zipperhead. I'll wake you soon enough." He settled himself against a nearby tree trunk and watched as his companion stubbornly huffed and pouted for a moment before he forgot why he was sulking and eventually lay down.

And not long after that did Cain himself fall asleep.

* * *

"No… please, no… It won't work…" 

"Glitch?" Cain shifted until he could see the other man, just a few feet away, writhing, and shivering in what could only be described as pure terror. Had it not been daylight, Cain would have thought someone was torturing his friend, but no one was there. Then it clicked. Another nightmare. "Glitch!"

"Don't want… no, please, no." The restless figure pleaded, kicking at the blanket he'd been wrapped in like it as trying to smother him to death.

Since it seemed his attempts were having no effect on waking Glitch, he approached his slumbering friend slowly. "Come on, Glitch. Wake up."

"No… Cain, help me..." The unconscious man mumbled, curling into the warmth that was Cain.

The tin man did not protest the movement, as it seemed to instantly soothe him. Glitch stopped squirming and stilled… "Shh… it's okay." He assured Glitch, an arm curling around the smaller frame. "Just a nightmare." He whispered, as he listened to the other's breathing slow and even out.

They both slept for a several hours.

* * *

Wyatt Cain had not slept with anyone is his arms since he'd been shoved in that tin suit many years ago. He'd never expected to wake with anyone but his Adora in his arms. And, never had he woken with a man in them. However, as he watched the rise and fall of Glitch's chest in the early evening light, he decided he could definitely get used to it. 

In the mean time, though, they needed to get moving, though he hated having to wake Glitch from what he hoped was a nightmare free sleep. "Hey, Glitch." He felt Glitch stir slightly against him and found two chocolate brown eyes gazing up at him. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Cain?"

"Yeah, we need to get moving again." Cain stated, already rolling up the blankets they'd used. He offered a Glitch some of the food and drink he'd smuggled out of the palace kitchen as he moved to saddle Nero. "Sleep well?"

Glitch seemed to ponder that for a moment. "No, I think I had a night…Wait. Yes, I did sleep well, actually. Hmm, how odd." A smile appeared across the zipperhead's face.

"So, you've been having nightmares a lot, then?" The tin man inquired, well aware of the answer.

Glitch only nodded, fiddling with his hands.

"About Ambrose?" He left Nero ground tied and moved to sit beside his friend.

"Yes. I hear… I dunno, counting a lot. And it didn't really make sense at first. I hear a voice counting back from 100. And I always feel like I can't move."

Cain knew then what Glitch was dreaming about, and he cursed the witch once more for her actions. The memories were one of the many reasons he didn't want Glitch to have to undergo the surgery. He would be reliving it all over again.

A hand being waved in front of his face made him aware that Glitch was trying to get his attention. "Hey, I thought -I- was supposed to be the absentminded one!"

He rolled his eyes and stood, moving back to the waiting horse. "Come on, we need to get going. If it's too dark, we won't be able to cross the bridge."

* * *

"Mother!" DG called, spotting the Queen sitting on the swing in the gazebo. "Glitch and Cain are missing. The doctors have looked everywhere and no one's seen them." 

"Oh, dear. Why didn't I see this coming?" She shook her head, rising to go inform her husband.

DG looked suitably confused as she followed. "Saw what coming?"

"Mr. Cain expressed his distaste for performing the surgery on Ambrose several weeks ago," She informed her daughter. "I never imagined he'd go so far as to do this, however."

"What should we do, my Queen?" One of the higher-ranking tin men on security detail questioned.

"Send out your men. Ambrose is to be found as soon as possible."


	4. Chapter 4

Someone To Save You

**_More coming soon! And I promise it'll pick up a bit in the next chapter. Characters not mine. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 4:

They'd just crossed one of the lesser used bridges that led them to the other side of the O.Z. and Glitch was understandably delighted that no zip lines would be involved this time. Not an hour later, though, did Nero throw a shoe. And, as a result, Cain and Glitch were thrown as well. Cain fell to one side and Glitch fell to the other, both surprised by the unplanned dismount and to suddenly be staring up at the pitch black night sky.

"Glitch?" Cain asked, the wind knocked out of him even as he grabbed at the protesting horses reins. "You okay?"

The other shifted enough to sit up again. "Yeah, I... I think so."

"Good." He stood, moving to sit beside the headcase. "Cause I don't think we'll be going anywhere for a bit." A look at the clearly annoyed equine was enough to solidify that thought. "There's a village not far from here. In the morning I'll go into town and get it fixed. It's too rocky here to ride." Cain decided, moving to untack the cranky horse.

"Should I get the blanket out again, then?"

Cain nodded. "Might as well. Not much we can do anyway."

Glitch nodded and went about digging it out of the bag. He grabbed some water and food for them to share as well, while Cain tended to Nero. "Hey, you haven't told me yet where we're going… have you?"

"No, I haven't. But, you're going to have to be surprised when we get there." He smiled, moving to return to his spot beside Glitch. "We should sleep. We'll need to be awake in the morning."

"Alright."

* * *

"Have there been any sightings?" The Queen asked, spotting the head of the royal guard as he entered her study.

The man shook his head. "They seem to be covering their tracks quite well. Although we have determined that a horse is missing as well."

She nodded. "Raw hasn't reported anything out of the ordinary, either?"

"I'm afraid not. We requested he come here and assist, but he declined." The guard looked nervous. "Perhaps, Your Majesty, they don't want to be found."

"My dear Ambrose would never do this."

Ahamo spoke next, having heard enough of the exchange as he entered to know what it was about. "He is not Ambrose, though, my love. Too much time has passed; he will never be the man you remember. He is Glitch now. And, if my suspicions are correct, he is Cain's as well."

* * *

Glitch's nightmare was rather violent in nature, this time, Cain guessed. Mainly because that rhythmic skill of his was being put to use, rousing Cain from a sleep that he was unaware he'd fallen into with a solid punch to the stomach.

"Glitch, what in the world…?" He resisted the urge to rely on the years of military instincts in him and decided against the 'shoot first and ask questions later' option and instead took in the situation.

Like some sort of demented game of hide and seek, his comrade was mumbling numbers in his sleep. "87... 86... 85..." And the constant writhing was undoubtedly what had caused his abrupt awakening.

This needed to stop. "Glitch!" He shook the other man lightly, then harder, but still got no response. Nor did anything else.

"62... 61... 60..."

It was entirely possible that he would wake when he hit 0, but there was no way he was going to let Glitch sleep through another minute of torture. In a last ditch effort, he leaned over the other's frame and slapped him, like he had in the Brain Room.

"Hi, I'm… Cain! What're you doing?"

"You were having another nightmare." Cain informed him, moving from his current position. "And I couldn't wake you up."

"I was?" Glitch thought, his mind processing that. "Oh… right. The counting." He sat up slowly, head in his hands. "I… Sometimes I wish I could remember. Just so I could figure out what the counting is supposed to mean… the nightmares. But… I'm not so sure I'd want to know."

Cain sympathized with that. After watching his family be tortured for so long, there was a lot he wished he could forget, too. He sat silently for a moment, wondering how to tell Glitch why a simple countdown could terrify him so.

Only, before he could, the other man spoke. "I know what you're doing, Cain."

"What?"

"You're trying to protect me, aren't you?" Glitch asked, once he realized Cain knew something he wasn't saying. While his synapses may misfire sometimes, nobody could call him oblivious.

The tin man looked rather surprised to have been called on it. "No, I… the counting…" Cain shrugged. "It's from when the MediCoats took your marbles. We saw it when Raw was looking in your memories for Sun Seeder information."

Glitch fell silent.

"I didn't want you to have to remember that."

Another moment of silence passed between them.

"You can't save everyone, Boy Scout." The headcase finally said, brown eyes locking with Cain's.

"No, but I can sure as hell try." And then, Cain kissed him. 


	5. Chapter 5

Someone To Save You

**_More coming soon! Plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone, so tada, an update. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 5: 

"So, how long do you think it will take, then?" Cain inquired, standing beside the local Ferrier as he examined Nero's hoof. The village they'd been near was Foreston, a town known for its woodsman and its wide variety of forest creatures.

The man, Colby, as he'd introduced himself, appeared to be just a bit older than Cain himself, with roughly the same ex-tin man attitude at hand, although tempered by the small town life. "Well, a few hours, at most, I should think."

He nodded. "Okay, great, thanks." He offered the man a handful of platinums, well more than he would have paid under normal circumstances.

Colby stared at the amount in his hand. "Tell you what, friend. Why don't you head over to my house, just next door, and I'm sure my wife Laura would be glad to fix you something to eat."

Before Cain could reply to that invitation, one very familiar zipperhead came running through the door, luckily wearing the hat Cain had left him with, and ended up clinging to him for dear life.

"Oh! Cain! There… there was a rabid monster after me! It could have been a lion! Or perhaps a tiger… maybe even a bear." Glitch rambled off, still attached to the other's arm.

Cain cleared his throat, peering out the doorway towards the edge of the forest where he'd left Glitch. "You mean the big, ferocious deer?" He couldn't help but grin at the silliness of the whole thing.

"What deer? Or are you calling me dear?" Glitch asked, confused, and obviously having lived up to his name again. "How sweet of you!"

Colby, who'd been staring at them in something between amusement and perplexity, cleared his throat, hoping to regain the couple's attention. "I'll, ugh, start on your horse right away." He said, excusing himself to gather the necessary supplies.

Cain nodded his thanks yet again, before hauling Glitch outside. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be okay?" The headcase wondered, giving the tin man a look that seemed concerned for his sanity.

"You've been…" Cain searched for the right word. "Jumpy. Since last night." He was unsure if Glitch actually recalled the event, but he certainly hadn't been protesting at the time. They'd spent several minutes locked in passionate kisses before Nero had spooked at the sound of a nearby howl.

Judging by the various colors Glitch's face turned at the mention of the previous night, Cain was pretty sure he remembered, too. "Oh, ugh." He grinned sheepishly. "I was kind of hoping for a repeat performance, is all."

"Later," Cain promised. "We need to get out of sight until we can get out of here." He led the other man toward the Ferrier's home, where his wife, Laura was indeed more than willing to fix them a meal. It seemed, as she had dubbed Glitch a pile of skin and bones, that she felt they were in need of a great deal of a meal.

Laura was incredibly accepting of the both of them. She didn't even seem to mind when Glitch removed his hat. Cain supposed he blended in as just another of the Witch's casualties. She was also kind enough not to ask about it.

"Our town hasn't had many visitors of late, since the main bridge across the canyon has been reopened. You boys were taking the scenic route, I suppose." She smiled; evidently glad for the company, as they helped her clean up the remnants of a delicious meal.

Cain sighed. "Well, you could say that."

Just then, Colby entered a smile on his face. "I've finished with your horse. You two can be on your way any time."

"Thank you, sir." The tin man answered.

They four of them spent a brief while talking about the witch's downfall -with no mentions of their involvement on the part of Cain and Glitch - over cups of grog, and before they knew it, night had fallen.

"We should really be going." Cain finally said, noting the hour. He heaved Glitch to his feet, and they said their goodbyes to the couple quickly.

Only, when they stepped outside, they could see Tin Men wearing colors of the royal guard posting wanted fliers. Some were even going door to door.

They were really in trouble now.

"Stay quiet." Cain whispered to his comrade as they moved toward the stable where Nero was waiting for them. They mounted quickly, and headed off into the darkness as fast as the horse could carry them.

* * *

"Your Majesty." 

The Queen looked up from the surgical plans that had been given to her concerning Ambrose's re-brainment. "Yes?"

"We have received word that they've been spotted in Foreston." The Royal Guard announced. "It seems they stopped to have a shoe repaired on their horse. The one that was found to be missing from the Guard stables here. They were also reportedly heading north."

She nodded, wondering where they could be going. "Is Ambrose unharmed?"

"The Ferrier who informed us of the sighting said he was fine. And that he didn't seem to be coerced into the trip. In fact, he was rather convinced they were… as he put it, involved. His wife agreed."

The Queen was starting to think she might have been wrong. Nevertheless, that wouldn't stop her from making sure. "Do we have their trail?"

"Yes, we do."

"Good, keep on them."


	6. Chapter 6

Someone To Save You

**_Okay, I'm not one hundred percent thrilled with how this chapter turned out, but after three attempts, this was the best, so... Characters are -this is a shock- not mine. O.o Yeah, umm... Enjoy!_**

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Chapter 6:

"Why are we in such a hurry, exactly?" Glitch wondered aloud, as he held tight to Cain's hips, so he could avoid falling off of the cantering horse. The fact that it was nearly pitch black did not seem to deter the equine in the slightest it seemed, and if he remembered correctly, which was always questionable, appeared to be even more surefooted as the darkness encroached around them.

Cain made sure the path was clear before he turned enough to give the headcase a look that clearly read 'you're kidding, right?' before he answered. "The Queen's let her Tin Men loose on us."

"Oh, well, that's certainly not good." He tried to look behind them, but was blinded by the darkness, unable to see more than the horse's tail. He clung tighter to the other man. "Why?"

"My guess is not everyone's thrilled with me running away with you." He answered, returning his attention to the trail.

They rode until morning, as they'd been doing throughout their journey, and made camp in a small clearing off the beaten path that the Tin Men undoubtedly on their heels would probably take. They'd even taken care to cover their tracks and zigzag around a bit to throw them off even more.

"We'll stay here for a few hours then we'll head out. If we're lucky, we'll get there by nightfall."

"Alright. You sleep this time. I'll keep watch." Glitch volunteered, sitting against a nearby tree, like Cain usually would.

The tin man shook his head, moving to sit beside him. "I'm fine, you should sleep." He replied. In the end, they both ended up falling asleep leaning against the tree, Cain's arm around Glitch's shoulders.

Their plan to get moving a few hours later, however, was abruptly disturbed, as the sound of their small camp being stormed by Tin Men quickly roused them from their sleep.

"Cain?" Glitch yelped in surprise as the other man drew his gun out of habit and aimed toward the intrusion.

A half-dozen tin men were surrounding them, one of whom was holding Nero's reins.

"Cain, what do we do now?" Glitch gripped his free arm in fear, holding tight to his tin man.

"Glitch," He grinned. "Do you remember what you told me about rhythm?"

"Huh, oh, of course. Did you know I was a dancer, Cain?" A gentle nudge to the side got him back on track. "Oh, right. Comes form the soul."

"Good. Remember how you proved that last time, with the Long Coats?" He prodded, quietly.

Glitch grinned, too. "Yes. Yes, I do."

Cain made a 'well, go ahead,' like gesture and before he could even blink, the headcase was moving. He watched, that stunned expression at seeing Glitch's magnificently graceful fighting style appear gain crossing his face once more. He did, though, regain composure quickly enough to aid in the take down. By the time he had one man down, Glitch was at work on the last.

And, a moment later, they were running again.

* * *

DG and Azkadellia were with the Queen when the Royal Guard interrupted this time. "My Queen, Princesses, I'm afraid we've lost the trail."

"What trail?" DG asked, confused, looking between the man and her mother.

"We've been tracking the Queen's advisor and that Tin Man."

"Glitch and Cain?" DG's confusion only seemed to grow. "Why?"

"Ambrose," The Queen corrected subtly. "Has been missing as long as Cain has. I asked that they be brought back."

The Guard spoke again. "We've been told that they took out six of our best men. And, quite easily, might I add."

DG stared. "Cain took out a bunch of tin men?"

"Actually, it was apparently more Ambrose than Cain."

The Queen looked quite horrified by the suggestion. "My, I don't think Ambrose would do such a thing."

The younger princess didn't look quite as surprised. She may not have seen Glitch when he was channeling the rhythm he'd claimed to have, but Cain certainly seemed impressed. "Maybe not Ambrose," she smiled. "But definitely Glitch."

"What shall we do now, My Queen?"

"Keep searching, please," She answered, leading her daughters off to whatever royal activity they'd next be pursuing. After the girls were out of earshot, she added. "I do believe they might be going somewhere… familiar." The guard nodded in understanding, though he did not look entirely pleased by the situation. "Ambrose's surgery will be scheduled the moment he is returned, and I'd like that to be as soon as possible."

The man reluctantly nodded and went to send the orders.

* * *

"Just over the hill." Cain said, finally, just as the first signs of dusk fell.

Glitch, riding in front of rather than behind him, now, only nodded, eyes fixed on the crest of the hill, eager to at last know their destination. It all seemed vaguely familiar to him, but, as per usual, he couldn't quite place the memory.

And then, suddenly, they were home.


	7. Chapter 7

Someone To Save You

**_Sorry for the lack of updates, but I spent most of the week in bed sick, so, not much of anything actually got done. So, yeah,here ya go with an update, finally. Still not mine. Hope you enjoy!_**

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Chapter 7: 

It was an odd sensation, Cain thought, to be waking up in this house, in this room, this bed, again. However, it probably wasn't as strange as it should have been to be waking with someone other than his Adora in his arms.

He'd been worried about bringing Glitch here. For several reasons.

One, it was a rather glaringly obvious place for the Queen's men to check in their search. So obvious, he hoped, that they'd bypass it.

Second, while the Tin Suit had been seized, like all others that had been spread throughout the OZ during the Witch's reign, some haunting memories were still here for him, and he wasn't sure what effect that would have.

And, lastly, he wasn't sure if Glitch would like it here. The headcase had only seen the outside of the battered home, but Cain had hired someone to repair the damages the last time he was nearby on a search for rogues. It looked quite comparable to its former state now.

Though it was still entirely possible that the Tin Men would raid their new home, his other fears had been vanquished quite quickly. When they'd arrived the previous night, Glitch had fallen in love with the little cottage immediately. They'd gotten Nero settled in the barn quickly and headed inside to do the same.

By the time the moons had risen, they were both sound asleep in bed.

"Morning, sweetheart." Cain smiled down at the languid brown eyes gazing up at him; his usual greeting always seemed to spark some synapses into firing correctly.

Glitch drew closer to the other man's warmth, head resting against Cain's shoulder. "Morning, Cain." He smiled lazily, eyes catching the early morning suns' rays in the window.

"Have any nightmares?"

"No, at least I don't think I did. No." The other pursed his lips in a familiar look that revealed he was deep in thought.

Cain grinned. "I'm glad." He pressed his lips to the others for an all too brief moment before climbing out of bed, leaving Glitch to sit in an astounded silence until he realized that the headcase still hadn't moved. "Well, are you going sit there all day or come enjoy the breakfast I'm going to make you?"

"Coming!"

* * *

"The tin men have sent word, Your Majesty. They are, indeed, at Cain's old home." The messenger informed the Queen. "Your suspicions were correct."

"Did Cain surrender?" She inquired. "Is Ambrose unharmed?"

The messenger paused. "My Queen, they have not yet made their presence known. They felt they'd have the upper hand once the suns had risen. I assure you, they'll be moving in shortly."

"Thank you."

As that was obviously a dismissal, the messenger took his leave, just as the younger Princess entered. "Surrender? Unharmed? Upperhand? Move in?" DG demanded. "Mother, I thought you sent tin men after Cain and Glitch to make sure they were okay. Not to… not to seize them!" She wasn't done yet, though. "And you actually think Cain would ever hurt him?"

"DG, my dear, Ambrose is needed here, and every day we waste trying to convince Mr. Cain that this surgery is what is best for the greater good, the less chance we have of the surgery being successful, of Ambrose returning to normal."

"I don't think he'll care much for the greater good if it means losing Glitch." Her daughter replied. "He's protecting the one he loves, mother."

* * *

"I'm just gonna go check on Nero, I'll be right back." Cain said, slipping out the front door while Glitch sat leisurely at the table finishing his breakfast. He did a quick sweep of the area, on alert for tin men.

He swiftly went about feeding and watering the horse in the barn, still painfully aware of the sounds he'd hear outside, from trees rustling to animals mulling about. Then he heard the front door slam shut.

"Glitch?" He called, hoping that the other man had just decided to come out and join him.

Then the barn door burst open, too.

A horde of tin men, these obviously more well trained than those from the previous day, some even taught by Cain himself, came storming in. Within seconds, he'd been easily detained, and when they marched him outside, they already had Glitch, too.

They took the time to shackle his hands together before they marched him any closer to the other man. "You two have been causing quite the uproar at the palace, you know." The tin man who seemed to be in charge told them. "Make sure they stay separated. And shackle him, too."

"Is that really necessary?" Cain demanded, struggling against his own as he watched them restrain Glitch.

"I saw what he did to the others. I'm not taking any chances." The man retorted, before they began the journey back to Finaqua.

Glitch fought against his bonds as they began to move. "Cain!" He called, eyes searching out the crystal blue ones he was longing for. "Cain! What now?"

He held the other's gaze. "We'll be okay, Glitch. Just… walk." There was no need to make the situation worse right now.


	8. Chapter 8

Someone To Save You

**_Sorry for the lack of updates, the plot bunny was being kind of a pain to work with and I'm still not totally satisfied with how this chapter turned out. So... anyways. Here ya go. Still not mine. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Chapter 8:

"Take the head case to the alchemists." The lead tin man ordered, dragging Cain in the opposite direction. Over the course of the journey back to the palace, which was exponentially shorter when one was not traveling through back roads and forests, he and Glitch had managed to annoy the man to no end.

About halfway through, after a short break, Glitch had outright refused to move if he was anymore than three feet from Cain at any given time. This persistent protesting had eventually made their escorts allow it.

"Who knew you could be so stubborn, sweetheart?" Cain had grinned, his eyes on Glitch the remainder of the trip.

But, now… Glitch was being taken away, and he couldn't follow.

Perhaps if he spoke to the Queen she'd see what she was about to do. With surprisingly little effort, he trudged forward, and marched towards the Queen's chambers.

"The Queen has asked not to be disturbed." The guard outside of her study attempted to tell him as he stormed past, two of the tin men responsible for their capture on his heels. "She is in a meeting with her daughters!"

Cain ignored the man completely; throwing the heavy wooden doors open and charging in before he could be stopped.

"Mr. Cain." The Queen, and everyone else startled upon his entry, but she did not look entirely thrilled by his presence.

DG jumped up promptly, moving across the room to hug him, he returned the gesture on the grounds that apparently someone was on his side. "What's going on?"

"They've taken Glitch to the alchemists." He informed her solemnly. "To perform a surgery that he doesn't want to have."

The Queen spoke up next. "I assure you, the surgery is necessary. Ambrose's return is something the OZ needs to recover."

Cain simply glared. "What about what Glitch needs? What he wants?"

"Ambrose would be more than willing to help."

"He's not Ambrose anymore!" He shouted, sincerely hoping he was not jailed for such a performance. "He's Glitch. Who knows what was done to his brain while the Witch had it in her control. Who knows what memories are there?" He paused, volume returning to something close to normal. "He already has nightmares just from what he saw when turning off the anti-sun seeder."

Continuing with her apparent blissful obliviousness, the Queen took a moment to reply. "I'm sure once he has all of his memories back his mind will sort everything out."

"I have all of my mind, and I still have nightmares. They don't stop just because the nightmare you're living in ends." The tin man replied, speaking with his own personal experience. The only nights he hadn't been plagued with nightmares of his own wee the nights he'd spent with Glitch in his arms.

This conversation was running in circles, which by now everyone had realized, and Azkadellia spoke up for the first time since the discussion had begun. "Mother, has anyone asked Glitch for his opinion on the matter?" She inquired, looking between her mother and the tin man.

She paused in the formation of her reply to Cain's statement. "Well, no. But, surely he wants his brain returned to him."

"That's just it, he doesn't. He doesn't want the nightmares or the memories. And I don't want him to have them, either." Cain explained. "I don't want to see him fall, and I don't want to lose him. Not like I lost Adora. You may not be putting me in an iron suit, but making me stand by and watch while you force him to change is no different."

While comparing the Queen to the Wicked Witch may not have been the smartest argument he'd ever made, it certainly did a good job of getting his point across.

Before anyone could reply to his accusation, one of the Alchemist's messengers came barreling into the room. "Your Majesty." The man started. "There's a bit of a problem with the surgery."

"What? What's wrong with Glitch?" Cain demanded, reacting to the news before the Queen could. He feared the worst.


	9. Chapter 9

Someone To Save You

**_Sorry for the wait, Busy first week of classes -- Umm... I hope you all like this chapter, I typed it out pretty fase cause I'm leaving for the weekend soon, so...yeah. They're still not mine. And, I'm sad to say it is winding down a bit now. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Chapter 9: 

"No!" The head case protested, kicking and squirming as much as his restraints would allow him to. "Please! No, stop! I don't want my brain back!" The alchemist busy preparing the supplies for the procedure ignored him as his assistant made to start strapping Glitch to the cold, metal table.

"Oh, stop complaining! It'll be over soon enough. Just count back from 100." The increasingly irritated man told him, about to injective with a powerful magical sedative.

That was too much for Glitch, though, as the deeply buried memory that had been trying to make itself known to his subconscious as of late finally burst forth, providing him with a sudden feeling of déjà vu for this whole scenario.

He wasn't letting them do this again.

* * *

"Glitch!" The frantic tin man shouted, storming into the Alchemist's tower after practically flying across the grounds. He was pretty sure several palace guards were on his heels but he really did not care. All that he could think of was his Glitch. And something going horribly, horribly wrong.

He could hear Glitch's voice from behind a door to his left.

"I'm afraid you can't go in there." A nervous looking watchman held out a hand and moved to block the door, but Cain fixed him with a wicked glower and the man cowered away.

Those men on his heels had caught up, though, and were not so easily intimidated.

"Not so fast, Cain." One of them grabbed him, holding him back as the Queen swept past him into the room.

"Damn it! Let me go!" He struggled in a hopeless attempt to escape from their hold, the sounds of Glitch's tears audible from the other room. "What's wrong? Tell me what's going on!"

DG followed behind her mother a moment later, Azkadellia close behind.

"Let him in." The younger princess demanded, grabbing for Cain's hand and hauling him in as well.

"Can somebody tell me what they've done to him?" He asked, eyes searching the room, one that appeared to be no more than an observation room attached to the actual procedure room.

"The alchemist said he had some sort of black out and when he woke up again he broke the restraints." DG began, having stayed behind in the Queen's chambers long enough to get the story from the messenger who'd been sent to tell them. "After he knocked out the one who was trying to sedate him he started…well, that. She gestured through the window.

Cain's eyes scanned the room, searching for the familiar figure. "Oh, Glitch." The man was curled up in a ball in the corner, rocking back and forth, obviously going through some sort of mental breakdown, with tear tracks were evident on his face

"He won't respond to anything, but he keeps asking for you."

With no further prompting, he was through the door that led to the other room.

"Cain. Cain. Cain. Cain. Cain." The soft whisper barely reached his ears as he slowly approached the other man, as he might have done with a wild animal.

"Glitch." He said, just as quietly, and was reassured when he saw the chocolate brown eyes peer up at him. He crossed the last few feet quickly, dropping to his knees next to him. "Hey, you're okay."

He flung his arms around Cain's neck, holding tight. "I… the nightmare. The counting. It's… it's this." He sobbed, eyes closed to keep from seeing the room again.

"I know, sweetheart." The tin man replied. "But, don't worry. I'm not gonna let them do this, okay? You don't have to do anything you don't want to, got it?"

Glitch nodded, his head resting against Cain's shoulder, still clinging to the other man for dear life. "Can we get out of this room before we talk anymore?"

Cain pulled away, enough to stand and help Glitch to his own feet. His arm fell around the head cases shoulders, staying close as he stepped out of the room, fixing the Queen and her men with a look that just dared them to try to stop him.

When the couple was past them, DG turned to face the Queen. "This needs to end, Mother, right now."

"I know."


	10. Chapter 10

Someone To Save You

**_Sorry for the wait, school seems to be holding my plot bunnies hostage until Friday night, and I kind of did this instead of my lab report but... oh well. I have some of chapter eleven typed up but I'm not sure when I'll get that up. They're still not mine... Enjoy!_**

* * *

Chapter 10: 

The palace sprawled endlessly before them, beside the lake as the two of them sat in the gazebo in a silence that had gone on far too long for Cain's liking. A broken Glitch had been wrapped in his arms on the lone swing for hours, his head buried against Cain's strong chest and so far, neither man had spoken of the day's events.

He needed to say something. To do something that could tell him how he could help his friend now.

But, Glitch beat him to it.

"I don't want to lose who I am again."

The other man's whispered words, which came out in a voice that was rather hoarse from all of the screaming and crying he'd done to escape those trying to force the surgery on him, didn't quite register at first to the Tin Man. "What do you mean by that?"

Glitch shifted until he could meet Cain's icy blue eyes in the fading daylight. "When… they took my brain all those annuals ago, I lost Ambrose. Who I was back then doesn't exist anymore. He's gone. Or, perhaps still in my brain, but undoubtedly tainted by so much black magic that I doubt I'd want to be him again, anyway. And, I'm here, now. I don't want to lose this, my memories of saving the O.Z., and… and of you, Cain, just to be the shell of a man who can never really be again."

The rather eloquent reply caught Cain off guard and he took a long moment to formulate a proper reply to such a statement.

However, once again, Glitch spoke before he could.

"I just need to know one thing, though." His chocolate colored eyes searched Cain's as he spoke. "And that's how you really feel about me."

Cain took significantly less time to reply this time, quickly closing the few inches of distance between them to press his lips to the other man's for a long overdue kiss. While it was not the first one they'd shared, it held more meaning than the one in the forest days prior; relaying all of the things Cain was not completely prepared to say aloud just yet.

"That answer your question, sweetheart?" The Tin Man asked, a smile on his face, as he tightened his hold on Glitch to keep him from falling.

"Almost." Glitch gave a smile in return as well, but the voice behind them caused both men to startle.

"The Queen would like a word with the two of you." One of the Tin Men who'd captured them stood beside the messenger, obviously to ensure they did not make a hasty retreat.

Cain stood, with Glitch clinging to his side as they followed their escort back through the marble halls and corridors until they reached the Queen's chambers again.

"Your Majesty."

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us." DG prompted polite conversation, standing to her Mother's side, Azkadellia on the other. Ahamo was present as well, seated beside his wife.

Cain would have hardly called it agreeing, given the displeased looking Tin Man, but said nothing.

"I would like to speak with Ambrose, alone, please." The Queen stated after a moment of less than pleasant silence.

Glitch was having none of it though. "No, I want Cain to stay."

Cain looked about ready to protest as well, so Ahamo stepped in. "Cain, I'd like to have a word with you, as well. I'm sure DG will make sure everyone stays civil in here."

"Don't worry, Glitch." DG added.

And, with quite a bit of hesitation, Cain allowed himself to be led from the room.

* * *

Ahamo was a good man, Cain knew, but he didn't know where he stood on the issue of Ambrose's brain.

"You don't have to worry, you know." The man said, as they walked the aisles of the library. "I spent most of the week trying to convince her to call off the search. The two of you put up quite a fight, though."

"Why can't she accept that Glitch doesn't want to be Ambrose again?"

Ahamo shrugged, scanning the many texts on a nearby shelf. "She just wants her old friend back, you see. Ambrose was he confidant, and with everything else returning to normal, she is still waiting for him to return, as well."

"And forcing him into a situation that brings all of his fears to life, accomplished, what, exactly?" Cain was understandably upset with the Queen's actions, he'd said as much by now.

"I didn't say her actions made sense. I said they were driven by her love for Ambrose. And, love, as I'm sure you well know, can make anyone, even the Queen, do some objectionable things." Ahamo gave him a pointed look, reminding him that she was not the only one who'd spent the last week participating in questionable behaviors. "For example, what made you run away with him?"

"I was trying to protect him."

"No other reason?"

Cain looked rather uneasy with the implications of that question. "I… well… yes."

"So, my suspicions were correct." Ahamo nodded. "He knows, I assume."

"Kind of." The Tin Man shrugged. "He's waiting for me to say as much, though."

"Why haven't you?"

"Adora. All the running, all of this. It's all kind of still in the processing stages, but I know that much for sure." He liked being able to talk like this with the other man, they seemed to be on the same page.

Ahamo nodded. "You should tell him as much as you can, because you never know how long you really have." He knew Cain could relate to that.

"I know." His thoughts drifted to Adora once more. "Do you think the Queen is through yet?"

"Let's go see."


	11. Chapter 11

Someone To Save You

_**I am SO sorry for teh long wait for this. The plot bunny apparently went on vacation and abandoned me! So, here is the next chapter. There will be one more, soon, hopefully, to tie up loose ends and such. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter 11:

Back in the Queen's chambers, an awkward silence had settled between Her Majesty and her former advisor. "Ambrose."

"Glitch, please." The man encouraged, willing to at least hear her out.

It was obvious the Queen was not pleased with his name change. "Glitch." The single word did not sound welcome as she spoke it. "Why will you not go through with the operation?" She inquired, wanting to know his own reasons behind it and not those echoed through Cain.

He related what he had told Cain earlier, as well as all of his concerns about being a test subject to a pilot surgery that could end in his death all for something he didn't even want. Not to mention, there was a list of potential side effects as long as Glitch was tall, none of which he particularly cared to experience.

Then there was Cain.

"I may never be the man you remember, Your Majesty," He started, hoping he could it make it through the remainder of this conversation without glitching, as it seemed to happen more often in Cain's absence. "But Cain accepts me as I am, and that's all I need."

"Ambr-… Glitch," She corrected herself. "Surely there is someone better suited to you, if you'd just allow me to…"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I must respectfully refuse."

"Mr. Cain is not your equal here, Glitch. You were… are of noble blood."

DG, who had been mostly silent up until this point, only casting glances at her mother when she felt she'd gone too far, finally spoke up again. "After all of this, you're going to make this about class?"

The Queen faltered in her argument. "Of course his assistance in defeating the Wicked Witch is exceptional…"

"Exceptional?" Glitch echoed. "If it weren't for Cain none of us would be here! He's the reason we were able to defeat the LongCoats in the brain room, how we… we… we… what else did we do?" Oh! And he'd gone so far without glitching!

She knew that argument had been lost, there was little evidence to prove otherwise, and it certainly that she wasn't ungrateful for Cain's involvement in her family's long awaited reunion, but she was still living in the OZ of so many annuals prior, where everything fell into place as it should. And she took the time to explain as much to her daughter and former advisor.

"If you would prefer it, Cain and I could leave the palace…"

"You don't have to do that, Glitch. You're always welcome here." DG supplied, unwilling to lose one of her best friends.

"But, maybe it would be for the best if your mother didn't have me around as a reminder of the friend she's lost." The headcase responded, eyes landing anywhere but on the Queen.

It was then that Ahamo and Cain returned to the grand room. Ahamo joined his daughters where they stood while the Tin Man studied the situation carefully, as he fell into place beside his Glitch.

At this point, the Queen looked downright crestfallen by the turns the conversation had taken. Her hopes of Ambrose's return were rapidly fading away to nothing, and Cain could no longer hold the grudge of causing the two of them so much trouble over the past week, after all, he, too, knew what it was like to lose someone you loved.

"My love?" Ahamo prompted his wife for her opinion on the points proposed by DG and Glitch.

"Or," Cain offered yet another alternative. "Glitch and I could return to my home and make regular trips here to visit."

Still weighing all of these ideas, she motioned her daughters closer. "DG, would you please go outside with Ambrose for a moment. I need to have a word with Mr. Cain."

The two princesses exited the room, waiting for Glitch to follow, but he still stood by Cain's side.

"Go on, sweetheart," Cain prompted, giving the man's hand a gentle squeeze.

Glitch's face lit up in a wide smile and he practically pranced out of the room after DG and Azkadellia.

"Your Majesty?" Cain questioned, when she'd fallen into silence for a moment after watching the display.

"Please, Mr. Cain, take care of him."


	12. Chapter 12

Someone To Save You

_**Again, I am so sorry for the long wait, butI haven't been writing much of anything lately. This is the last chapter and it didn't really end the way I wanted it to, but it was all my plot bunnies were offering, so I hope you enjoy! The characters may not be ine, but the Tin Man DVD finally is!**_

* * *

Chapter 12: 

The journey back to the cottage was significantly more pleasant then their last trip there. There was no hiding or lurking about in the dark, no sneaking about in towns for quick appointments with a local Ferrier. No, this time it was relaxing, the two of them making their way back to the Cain cottage with plenty of supplies and a few tearful goodbyes behind them, as well as a promise to return before the month ended.

"We'll be there by nightfall at this rate." Cain smiled, watching as Glitch shifted on his own horse, Nero's brother, Jinx. The Queen had insisted that they each take a horse for their travels. Cain had chosen Nero and DG had insisted that the only person who Jinx liked was Glitch, so that had been settled.

"In time for that star shower, do you think?" The younger man inquired, having heard several of the alchemists and other staff talking about it prior to their leaving.

"We should be." The tin man replied, motioning to Glitch to speed the horses up. "And I know just the place to see it from, too."

As Cain had predicted, night had fallen by the time they'd returned to the house, but it was still too early for the meteor shower to be visible.

"Go rest a bit, and I'll wake you when it's time to go." He promised the headcase, a plan already forming in his mind.

Glitch agreed, still a little emotionally overwhelmed with the twists and turns the past week had taken them through. "Alright." He said, retreating to the bedroom and settling down for a brief nap.

Meanwhile, Cain set to work. He gathered a few blankets and prepared an impromptu picnic for the two of them to enjoy once they got where they were going.

And then it was time to wake Glitch up.

Which was a task easier said than done. Not that he hadn't learned any tricks for doing so in their time together.

"Hey, sweetheart," Cain whispered, leaning down beside the sleeping man. He pressed his lips against Glitch's neck in a soft kiss and he felt the man begin to stir. Another soft kiss, this one on the lips.

"Is it time to go yet?"

Cain was no longer surprised when Glitch recalled things. It seemed as if he could go for longer and longer spans of time without glitching, especially if woken up like that. "Yeah," he supplied. "It's time."

Slowly, the couple made their way through a small path behind the Cain house. It looked to be little more than a path formed by animals, but when it finally widened, they were perched on top of a hill overlooking the house and the forest beyond. It afforded them a great view of the night sky.

"Wow!" Glitch gasped, absorbing the surroundings. "Wow!"

Cain, who'd spread out the blankets while Glitch was glitching, motioned for the other man to sit.

He fell into place beside Cain, leaning against his side. "It's such a beautiful view from up here!" He proclaimed. "And what a wonderful surprise this is!"

The tin man produced the quick meal he'd thrown together for this, sandwiches and apples, with hot chocolate to drink on the cool fall night. "The meteor shower should be starting now."

The two laid back, eyes on the sky as the moons continued to rise. A few moments later, a flash of light went streaking across the sky.

"DG says you're supposed to make a wish, you know." Glitch informed him, matter0of-factly, as he munched on an apple.

"Oh?" Cain smiled. "Really? Then I guess we should make a wish, huh?" He closed his eyes.

"What'd you wish for?" The other asked, watching as several more stars went shooting across the sky.

"A dance."

"A dance?" Glitch echoed, with a curious eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, with you." Cain answered, climbing to his feet. He offered a hand to Glitch, who took it with a smile. "So, what do you say? You lead, I'll follow?"

Glitch paused. "There's no music."

"Who needs music? It all comes from the soul, right? How bout from the heart instead?"

Unsure, but willing to try whatever Cain was going for here, he stepped closer. A bit awkward at first, as Cain had never danced with another man before, but they managed. Glitch got their hands in all the right places and started to move, just a simple swaying motion, like he was dancing to a slow song, and the rest of the world started to melt away. It was just the two of them and the night sky and its falling stars, with none of the chaos they'd spent the week running from.

Cain thought it was the right time to finally answer the question Glitch had asked him when they were on the swing in Finaqua.

His lips brushed the other man's, his blue eyes meeting the other's chocolate brown ones in the pale moonlight. "In case you had any doubts, Glitch, this means I love you."


End file.
